Che's Afterlife by Michael J. Casey The Legacy of an Image (Vintage Original)

In 1960, Cuban photographer Alberto Korda captured fabled revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara in what has become history's most reproduced photo. Now Michael Casey tells the remarkable story of this image, detailing its evolution from a casual snapshot to an omnipresent graphic—plastered on everything from T-shirts to vodka to condoms—and into a copyrighted brand. As Casey follows it across the Americas and through cyberspace, he finds governments exploiting it and their dissenters attacking it, merchants selling it and tourists buying it. We see how this image is, ultimately, a mercurial icon that still ignites passion—and a reflection of how we view ourselves.

MICHAEL J. CASEY is a managing editor and columnist covering global financial markets at Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal. He is a regular commentator on the Wall Street Journal's News Hub and a frequent guest on Fox Business. Previously he was the Dow Jones bureau chief and principal correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Argentina. He lives in Pelham, NY.

Unrated Critic Reviews for Che's Afterlife

Kirkus Reviews

For all Guevara’s failures as a revolutionary in the Congo and in Bolivia (where he was captured and killed), and for all the violent consequences of his idealism, Guevara remains to Casey a symbol of underdog resilience.

Bookmarks Magazine

Now Michael Casey tells the remarkable story of this image, detailing its evolution from a casual snapshot to an omnipresent graphic—plastered on everything from T-shirts to vodka to condoms—and into a copyrighted brand.

National Review Online

The author should have been capable of producing a valuable history of a man who, worshipped by millions as a martyr for human liberation, bragged about being a “bloodthirsty,” “cold, killing machine.” Instead, Casey has plumbed the depths of a ubiquitous two-dimensional image — the famous photog...